Fight
by Kurowkan
Summary: Eavesdropping isn't always beneficial.


They always say the quietest person can hear the most. For Swaine this was true. He would always pick up on any conversation, even in the noisiest of rooms. Sometimes the conversations were good, sometimes they were bad, sometimes the group of four adventurers could stop a crime before it happened simply because Swaine overheard the criminal talking about it.  
After a few of these occurrences Swaine began to make it a habit to eavesdrop at restaurants and bars while the other three talked for a while, at first swaine liked it, but one night, he overheard a conversation that made him regret ever making that a habit.  
They were sitting in a restaurant, Oliver, Esther, and Drippy happily chatting away while Swaine listened to a particular drunk man talk to his friend.  
"My kids are lazy pieces of shit.." The man slurred, slamming down his drink.  
Swaine narrowed his eyes and leaned back, listening closer to the man talk.  
"They're good for nothing," He said making Swaine think back to his own childhood. "They're not even talented. My brother had some good kids, strong, good with magic, smart. I wish I could have kids instead of my useless ones." The man said, and his friend laughed and nodded in agreement.  
"Same. So lazy."  
Swaine cringed, and looked down at the table. Anger was boiling up inside him, and it was clear on his face.  
The kids' conversation stopped suddenly, and Swaine looked up to see Esther staring at him. "Swaine? You ok?" She asked.  
Swaine shook his head in response, and motioned his head back towards the drunken pair. "No, do you hear the way they're talking about their kids? It's awful."  
"Yeah, I've been listenin' myself." Drippy said with a sigh. "It is awful but don't let it bother you, just stop listening."  
Swaine nodded in agreement, leaning towards the table to better hear the three talk but he just could not stop listening to the two talk. The whole time he got angrier, and it got harder to focus on Esther and Oliver's conversation.  
Finally, one of them crossed the line.  
"I honestly wouldn't even care if any of them ran away!" The man blurted out and laughed loud for most to hear.  
In a split second Drippy, who had not followed his own advice and was still listening to the two, looked to Swaine for a reaction. "Swaine-" He started, but the man had already stood from his seat.  
"Hey!" He snapped. "Who the fuck are you to think you can talk about your fucking kids that way?"  
The man looked up and put his drink down, glaring up at Swaine. "I don't think it's your business, is it?" He said angrily.  
"Like hell it isn't, if you talk about your kids that way, you shouldn't have any." Swaine replied angrily, his fists clenched.  
The man stood from his seat, now looking down at Swaine. This is when Drippy hopped down from his seat and quickly walked over to them. "Heeyy…Swaine I don't think-"  
Drippy did not even get to finish before the man's jaw came into contact with Swaine's jaw. He stumbled back a bit, but came back quickly, shoving the man back into the table.  
Drippy quickly backed off, and jumped onto the table. There really was nothing he could do to stop them, plus, Drippy couldn't disagree that the man deserved it.  
Esther and Oliver jumped up, but Drippy turned to them. "Just let 'em fight. The guy deserves it anyways, and Swaine'll probably think twice about fighting next time, don't you think?" After that, he stood up on the table, and started rooting them on.

Esther sighed as she handed Swaine an ice pack. "You're an idiot." She said in a scolding manner. "You literally could have just ignored it, but no, now her we are, owing the owner a bunch of guilders, and you all beat up."  
"Yes, Yes I know. Now will you shut up about it?" Swaine groaned in response, taking the ice pack from her and placing it over his eye. "He honestly had no right to be talking like that."  
"No he didn't but you didn't have to get in a fight about it!" Esther argued. "Next fight you're not getting any help from me." After making that clear, she left to go to her room in the inn.  
Drippy jumped up on the bed next to Swaine. "So, planning on fighting again?" He asked him.  
After a glare, he answered, "No, not any time soon."  
"That's what I thought. Good night then!" Drippy said, and left it at that.


End file.
